Microsoft Power BI Course Content Overview

Business Intelligence Overview - Business intelligence (BI) refers to the process of gathering, analyzing, and interpreting data to provide valuable insights and decision-making support for organizations.

Business Intelligence Technologies : There are three primary business intelligence technologies:

Traditional BI:This approach involves using specialized software tools and techniques to extract and analyze data.

Cloud-Based BI: This technology leverages cloud computing platforms to provide scalable and accessible BI solutions.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)-Driven BI:This technology incorporates AI algorithms and techniques to enhance data analysis, automation, and decision-making capabilities

Introduction to Power BI Desktop : Power BI Desktop is a powerful tool that enables users to create interactive and visually appealing dashboards and reports. It offers a wide range of features, including

Power Query: Power BI Desktop provides a data query tool that allows users to extract and transform data from various sources, including databases, files, and web services.

Power Query Transformation: Power BI Desktop offers a range of data transformation tools that enable users to manipulate and reshape data to meet their specific requirements

For example we can use Power query to connect excel and relation database in the same connections and merge with the concept of joins or append or union the data and create a data model out of it to create reports.

Power query is so easy and automatic that any type of functions which you would have used earlier like Aggregate Functions(SUM,COUNT,MIN,MAX,AVG) , Text Functions(LEFT , RIGHT , MID , FIND , REPLACE , CONCAT) , Logical Functions (IF ELSE , NESTED IF ELSE , CASE , SWITH) , Date Functions(DATEDIFF , DATEADD , YEAR , WEEK , MONTH ) etc can be used in power query with just a click and you don't need to remember the syntax. Isn't it amazing.

Advanced M Functions: Power BI Desktop provides advanced M functions that enable users to perform complex calculations and data analysis

Reporting Layer: Now we have learnt how to prepare , clean our datasets and ready with our data model. The next step we would doing is to create different types of visuals in power bi reporting layer which is drag and drop. You will learn how to customize the visuals and make it look profession and design with all the best practices followed by business intelligence experts.

Understanding DAX Functions in Power BI

Data Analysis Expressions (DAX) is a powerful formula language used in Power BI, Excel, and Analysis Services to create custom calculations and insights from your data. DAX is essential for anyone looking to take full advantage of Power BI’s analytics capabilities. Here’s an in-depth look at DAX functions and their applications.

What are DAX Functions?

DAX functions are predefined formulas designed to perform specific operations on your data. These functions allow you to create calculated columns, measures, and tables, enhancing the depth of your analysis. DAX is designed to be simple yet robust, enabling users to execute complex calculations effortlessly.

Key Categories of DAX Functions

1. Date and Time Functions:

These functions help you perform calculations based on dates and times. They’re crucial for creating time-based reports and visualizations. Examples include:

- `DATE()`

- `TODAY()`

- `DATEDIFF()`

- `YEAR()`, `MONTH()`, `DAY()`

2. Mathematical and Statistical Functions:

Perform mathematical operations and statistical calculations with these functions, including:

- `SUM()`

- `AVERAGE()`

- `STDEV.P()`

- `ROUND()`

3. Text Functions:

Manipulate and format text values in your data with these functions:

- `CONCATENATE()`

- `LEFT()`

- `RIGHT()`

- `SEARCH()`

4. Logical Functions:

Create conditional calculations using logical functions such as:

- `IF()`

- `SWITCH()`

- `AND()`, `OR()`

- `NOT()`

5. Filter Functions:

Apply filters dynamically to calculations and retrieve specific subsets of data using:

- `CALCULATE()`

- `FILTER()`

- `ALL()`

- `RELATED()`

6. Aggregation Functions:

Summarize your data effectively with these:

- `SUM()`

- `COUNT()`

- `MAX()`

- `MIN()`

Why Use DAX Functions in Power BI?

DAX enables you to:

- Perform Advanced Calculations: Create measures and calculated columns that go beyond basic aggregation.

-Build Dynamic Reports: Adjust your calculations based on user selections or filters applied in reports.

-Enhance Data Modeling: Define relationships, hierarchies, and calculated tables for deeper insights.

-Optimize Performance: DAX expressions are optimized for fast computation, even with large datasets.

Conclusion

DAX functions are the backbone of advanced analytics in Power BI. By mastering DAX, you can unlock the full potential of your data, transforming it into actionable insights. Whether you’re creating dynamic measures, calculating advanced metrics, or building interactive reports, DAX empowers you to go beyond the basics and make data-driven decisions with confidence.

Explore DAX and elevate your Power BI skills to new heights!

Reporting Layer: Now we have learnt how to prepare , clean our datasets and ready with our data model. The next step we would doing is to create different types of visuals in power bi reporting layer which is drag and drop. You will learn how to customize the visuals and make it look profession and design with all the best practices followed by business intelligence experts.

Deployment: Finally you will learn how to deploy the dashboard to different workspaces , build deployment pipelines , configure refresh schedules , configure permissions for end users & setup data gateways for on premises data sources.

At the end of this course you will gain access to multiple realtime project use cases to practice and interview assessments with guidance from trainers for resume building and mock interviews.